Chapter 1235 A Deadly Situation! Reinforcements Arrive Late

Tang Lan remained silent, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. The Holy Spirit Cult's evil soul-guided device could drive soul beasts into madness, but could it so precisely control the advance and retreat of a beast tide? Or was there another method besides that soul-guided device, or… was there someone else manipulating things behind the scenes?

At this moment, the morning sun finally dispelled the darkness, warmly shining on the broken city walls, the blood-stained earth, and every survivor.

After a night of fierce fighting, the people basked in the long-awaited sunlight that symbolized life and hope, but they felt little warmth. Instead, they felt only the exhaustion of surviving a catastrophe, the grief of losing their comrades, and deep anxiety about the future.

This "tranquility" amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood contrasts sharply with the horrific scenes of the surrounding battlefield, making it all the more eerie and somber.

"Clean up the battlefield! Treat the wounded! Take a count of casualties!"

Xu Yu composed himself and began issuing a series of orders. The battle was temporarily over, but the cleanup work was equally arduous and urgent.

The city's defense troops and the remaining Soul Masters began to move about numbly. They collected the bodies of their fallen comrades, burned or buried the corpses of Soul Beasts, searched for any wounded who might still be alive, and repaired the damaged city walls and fortifications... The air was thick with the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and disinfectant.

Around noon, in a spacious but simply furnished meeting room in the city lord's mansion, the atmosphere was heavy.

All the high-ranking officials of Rose City who were still able to attend, including the main generals of the city defense army, the leaders of the soul master teams, and representatives of powerful outsiders such as Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, and Elder Han Song of the Guangyan Chamber of Commerce, as well as the captains of various soul hunting teams, all gathered here. Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er were also respectfully invited by Xu Yu to sit in the seats of honor.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was oppressive and suffocating. Everyone's face bore the marks of exhaustion, pain, and an undeniable heaviness.

Xu Yu, as the city lord, presided over this post-war meeting.

He didn't waste any pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Gentlemen, last night's battle was tough. Now, let's have Commander Chen report on the specific casualties and results."

A middle-aged general, dressed in blood-stained armor and with a sorrowful expression, stood up. His voice was hoarse and heavy.

"Reporting to the City Lord, esteemed lords, according to preliminary statistics, in last night's battle, our side suffered a total of forty-three Soul Masters who perished."

When the number was read aloud, a collective, suppressed gasp filled the conference room. Although we were somewhat prepared, hearing the specific figure still sent a chill down our spines.

Commander Chen continued.

"Among the fallen, there were sixteen Soul Masters, nineteen Soul Kings, and six Soul Emperors. In addition... there were two Soul Saints who unfortunately perished."

As he spoke, his voice lowered, and his gaze swept over the area where Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, and the others were. The two fallen Soul Saints were not outsiders, but rather the backbone of Rose City's local forces, and also Commander Chen's comrades.

"More than a hundred people were seriously injured and rendered unable to fight, and countless others were slightly injured."

Commander Chen took a deep breath.

"As for the soul beasts that were killed... a preliminary count shows that there were more than 300, which is about half of the total number of beasts that attacked last night. These soul beasts ranged in age from several thousand years to... more than 80,000 years."

When he mentioned the period of over 80,000 years, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er, who were sitting quietly at the head of the table.

Everyone knows that the most troublesome 80,000-year-old Rock Domain Demon Elephant was killed single-handedly by that Lady "Tang Qiu'er".

Xu Yu listened expressionlessly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. Only after Commander Chen finished his report did he slowly speak, his voice heavy as lead.

"In one night, forty-three Soul Masters were lost, including two Soul Saints. More than a hundred were seriously injured. And most of those killed were controlled, crazed Soul Beasts. Gentlemen, this was only a medium to large-scale beast tide."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present, lingering for a moment, especially on the faces of the outsider Soul Hunters.

"Based on past patterns, the frequency and intensity of the beast tide attacks are likely to increase. With our current remaining strength, as well as our stockpiled supplies and medicines... if we continue at this rate of depletion, conservatively speaking, we can only hold out for a maximum of... ten days."

Ten days later, all the fighting Soul Masters within the city will be wiped out, and the city walls' defenses will be riddled with holes. At that point, the city's fall... will be imminent. And after the city falls, you can imagine the fate that will befall the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

His words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's hearts. Ten days! This timeframe was even shorter than their most pessimistic private estimates!

Xu Yu paused, his tone carrying an indescribable weariness and a hint of suppressed anger.

"However, the latest news from the Empire is that reinforcements will not arrive for at least fifteen days! The reason is simple: not only our Rose City, but also at least five other important cities along the western border of the Empire are being attacked by beast tides and rebels of similar or even larger scale at the same time!"

The Empire's military strength is stretched thin, and reinforcements are needed everywhere. The number and timing of reinforcements that can be sent here... must be delayed and reduced!

"Fifteen days..."

"Reinforcements will take fifteen days to arrive..."

"Ten days...we can only hold out for ten days at most..."

Xu Yu's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating violent ripples and low murmurs in the conference room. Despair, anger, resentment, fear... all sorts of emotions permeated and intertwined in the air.

Seated here were not only high-ranking officers of the city defense forces and captains of the Soul Masters, nor were they only representatives of the visiting Soul Hunters such as Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, and Yu Ting. Many other people were also seated on the chairs along both sides of the long conference table and against the wall at the back.

They are influential high-ranking members of the Chamber of Commerce in Rose City, heads of families with deep roots that have been passed down for generations, and leaders of other Soul Master groups or small sects in the city.

Their faces looked even more grim than those of the soldiers fighting on the front lines.

For them, defending the city was important, but the survival of their families, guilds, and influence was even more crucial. If they were destined to lose, then cutting their losses, preserving their strength, or even withdrawing in advance would be the "wiser" choice.

Especially when they heard that cold number—that between ten and fifteen days there is a death gap of five days that is almost insurmountable—the scales in many people's hearts began to tip.

After a brief silence and discussion, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Sitting in the middle of the right side, a middle-aged man with a white face, no beard, and a gleaming eye, wearing a brocade robe, was the first to stand up.

He is Hu Wanjin, the head of the Hu family in Rose City. His family mainly deals in medicinal herbs and soul tool materials, and they wield considerable power in the city.

"Lord Xu."

Hu Wanjin's voice carried a deliberately suppressed dissatisfaction and a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"It's not that I, Hu, don't support the city lord's defense of the city, but... the situation forces us to act! Ten days? How can we possibly hold out for that? Do you expect hundreds of members of my Hu family to follow you, the city lord, in this hopeless gamble, only to perish in the beasts' bellies? Forgive my bluntness, but the Hu family's legacy is hard-won, and we cannot take that risk!"

His words were like opening a floodgate.

Immediately afterward, the head of the Li family, a slightly plump old man with shrewd eyes, also stood up and sighed.

"Lord Xu, I agree with what Patriarch Hu said. Although the Li family is not as powerful as the Hu family, they still have elderly, weak, women and children who need to be protected. Defending the city is certainly a loyal and righteous act, but to do something that is known to be impossible is not the act of a wise person. If things are hopeless, preserving our lives and then trying to retake it in the future is not a bad way out."

The representative of the Song family, a middle-aged man with a cold and hard expression, spoke concisely.

"The Song family seconded the proposal. The ten-day limit is unacceptable."

The Hu, Li, and Song families have been operating in Rose City for many years, with intricate relationships and considerable influence.

Their statement immediately triggered a chain reaction.

“Lord Xu, my ‘Wantong Chamber of Commerce’ also means the same thing… I apologize, the Chamber of Commerce still needs my leadership, so I will take my leave now.”

"The Treasure Pavilion also cannot promise to hold out for ten days; there are still many valuable supplies inside that need to be moved..."

“Lord Xu, our ‘Gale Wind Soul Master Group’ is only hired to assist in defense. We have not signed a contract to sell ourselves. If the situation becomes completely hopeless, we will decide for ourselves whether to stay or leave.”

One after another, voices representing different interest groups rang out.

Those chambers of commerce and families that were already wavering and prioritizing their own interests have now chosen to back down in the face of a clear "death countdown."

Of the five well-known chambers of commerce with branches in Rose City, except for the Radiant Flame Chamber of Commerce, the heads or representatives of the other four also stood up one after another, cupped their hands to Xu Yu with awkward or indifferent expressions, and then left the conference room without looking back.

In the blink of an eye, nearly a third of the seats in the once fairly full conference room were empty. Those who remained included Xu Yu and the high-ranking members of the city's defense forces, as well as outsiders such as Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, Song Yingfei, and Yu Ting, and a few representatives from small families who had a very close relationship with Xu Yu or whose businesses were completely rooted in the city and could not easily leave.

Of the five major chambers of commerce, only the Guangyan Chamber of Commerce remained.

All eyes involuntarily fell on the seat where the representative of the Radiant Flame Chamber of Commerce was sitting.

She was an extremely eye-catching woman.

She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a well-tailored, fiery red dress that accentuated her stunningly tall and curvaceous figure. Her waist-length, wavy hair was like a burning flame, also a vibrant red.

She had a beautiful face with striking features, especially her phoenix eyes, which were slightly upturned at the corners and exuded a wild and untamed charm. Her full red lips seemed to always have a half-smile on them.

She is Yan Hong, the head of the Rose City branch of the Radiant Flame Merchant Guild. An 87th-level Power Attack type Soul Douluo, her Martial Soul is the extremely powerful "Purple Fire Phoenix"!

At this moment, the radiant and powerful female president was leaning back lazily in her chair, toying with an exquisite fiery red jade pendant in one hand, seemingly oblivious to the "walkout wave" that had just occurred.

Many people even felt that her slightly amused gaze seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er, who were sitting at the head of the table.

Others might not know, or might only have guesses, but as the highest-ranking person in charge of the Guangyan Merchant Guild in this area, Yan Hong's intelligence was clearly more in-depth and timely. Elder Han Song had already urgently relayed the news of the caravan's encounter with the 100,000-year-old silver-armored demon ape on the road, and its instant death by a mysterious powerhouse named "Tang Yun," back to the branch through special channels.

In addition, the scene of Wang Qiu'er powerfully killing the 80,000-year-old Rock Domain Demon Elephant under the city last night, and Tang Lan leisurely protecting everyone and using an unbelievable defensive domain, have all been reported in detail by her spies planted near the city walls.

She understood better than most people present just how terrifying the power of this suddenly appearing "siblings" truly was! With them around, the fate of Rose City might not be entirely predetermined. It was precisely because of this understanding, and some deeper considerations of the merchant guild behind it, that she chose to stay rather than drift with the tide.

These scenes at the meeting did not cause much change in the expression of City Lord Xu Yu.

He calmly watched as the representatives of the Hu, Li, and Song families, along with the heads of the chambers of commerce, left one after another, his eyes deep, as if all of this was within his expectations, or even something he had intentionally orchestrated—to eliminate those unstable factors who were not of firm will and might waver at any time or even stab them in the back in advance, which might not be a bad thing for the truly brutal city defense battle that was to come.

His gaze slowly swept over the people who remained steadfastly seated around the conference table.

Yan Hong of the Guangyan Chamber of Commerce, the captain of seven Soul Hunting Squads, four of which are local forces in Rose City. Each captain possesses Soul Saint strength above level 70. Their foundation is there, leaving them with no way to retreat. And then there are... Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er, who remain as calm as still water.

Xu Yu took a deep breath, a sincere yet weary smile appearing on his face. He stood up and solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to everyone present.

"Thank you all, Mr. Xu!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heavy weight.

"Thank you all for standing with me, and with the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians of Rose City, in this time of crisis, and for your unwavering loyalty! I will remember this kindness and righteousness forever!"

He paused, his gaze sharpening and becoming firm, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.

"Please rest assured, everyone. I am not a stubborn and reckless person. The ten-day limit I mentioned earlier was a conservative estimate based on the worst-case scenario. Since you have chosen to stay, I will not let you sacrifice yourselves in vain. I... have other plans and methods, but they are confidential and cannot be revealed to the public at this time just in case."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope rekindled in the eyes of many present, especially the local Soul Hunter captains and generals. Did the city lord have another plan?

Xu Yu continued.

"But I, Xu Yu, would like to assure everyone here, and also to give an explanation to those who left the meeting, that if the situation truly deteriorates to the point where the beast tide cannot be stopped and the city is bound to fall in ten days, I, Xu Yu, will never drag the entire city's inhabitants down with me!"

Before the city falls, I will take the initiative to organize forces and lead all soldiers and civilians who are willing to evacuate to break through and evacuate eastward! To give everyone a chance to survive!

His words gave those who remained hope and confidence to persevere, and also provided everyone with a final, bottom-line promise, making them seem more pragmatic and trustworthy. The tense atmosphere in the meeting room seemed to ease slightly as a result.